Anna Karenina

Kobo ebook | August 3, 2006

Acclaimed by many as the world's greatest novel, this is the story of a wife, Anna Karenina, who abandons her empty existence as the wife of a Petersburg government minister for a passionate relationship with a young officer, Count Vronsky.

Acclaimed by many as the world's greatest novel, this is the story of a wife, Anna Karenina, who abandons her empty existence as the wife of a Petersburg government minister for a passionate relationship with a young officer, Count Vronsky.

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Reviews

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Katarina from
Great ReadI loved this book, however it was a little difficult to get into. I toughed it out and finished the book, I am glad I did. I would highly recommend reading.

Date published: 2016-12-04

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Erika from
As only the great Russian authors can doThis book is dark and beautiful. The story is long and can be difficult to get into but once you do you will see the stark beauty of Anna and Russia.

Date published: 2016-11-29

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Linda from
Classic!Without spoiling anything, this book is probably the best book I've ever read.

Date published: 2016-11-22

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Step from
Russian classic#plumreview An epic novel that richly portrays so many characters with the dual main narratives (Of course the titular Anna Karenina, but with equal weight given to Konstantin Levin).

Date published: 2016-11-12

Rated 5 out of
5 by
SaLe from
Loved itWhat a story! This is one classic that isn't over-rated, unlike War and Peace. The only part I didn't like was the lecture/essay at the end of the book. Anna's brother was my favorite character. Better than Madame Bovary or Jane Austen any day.

Date published: 2016-11-07

Rated 5 out of
5 by
AMY from
IncredibleVery beautiful book. When I first read this book I honestly couldn,t put it down. Anna has that thing inside every women.

Date published: 2015-02-14

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Bronwyn from
Loved it!Epic. This book is known as one of the greatest novels in the history of literature and rightly so. I was expecting to hate it. I was expecting to trudge through it. Boy was I wrong! This book was a total page turner aside from a few more uneventful sections. I was expecting to take months to read this, but finished Anna Karenina in 2 weeks.

Date published: 2014-01-01

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Hailee_D from
Fantastic Translation!This particular translation of Anna Karenina is astounding. Fresh and modern without imposing it's own voice. Definitely my favorite version.

Date published: 2012-09-25

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Pina_P from
Contributes to a GREAT cause too!Classic book. RED line of books helps fight AIDS and HIV in Africa... to learn more here's a link: http://samaritanmag.com/dracula-little-women-anna-karenina-part-new-red-products-indigo-books

Date published: 2010-11-24

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Elle_V from
Had it's MomentsWhen I decided to take the plunge and read Anna Karenina I was expecting a challenge. And a challenge I got. I found it took me a while to get into it. Once I did I was able to imagine myself there in 19th century Russia. While I agree Tolstoy did an amazing job, and deserves much praise. I think a lot of people will find it difficult to read. Each character is called by more than one name. While the list at the beginning of the book was very helpfull. At somepoints I would still find myself wondering "who was who". There was also a lot of political talk I had a hard time keeping up with. This book is definitly not an easy read. So overall I would only recommend this book to a select few. I really did enjoy the first 600pgs. But the last 200pgs really dragged on for me.

Date published: 2009-10-21

Rated 3 out of
5 by
tovirginiawoolf from
Beautiful, Difficult, and MovingJ. Peder Zane’s “The Top Ten” is a compilation of 125 individual lists, each from a celebrated writer picking their top ten books of all time. What does this have to do with Tolstoy? Anna Karenina ranked number one on the definitive list. The question is: is it deserving? You’ll have to read it to form your own opinion. The Pevear/ Volokhonsky translation is beautiful and refreshing, and vividly recreates Tolstoy’s text. The story itself is both personal and distant, allowing the reader to engage with the lives of characters while painting a broad landscape of 19th century Russia. In this way, Anna Karenina appeals to a wide audience. It is no doubt epic in scale, literally and figuratively; definitely a triumph. The characters are beautifully flawed, and so human that I sometimes forgot Levin, Anna, and Vronsky were fictional. I dreamt of trains. I found myself sketching ladies on train platforms. I kept thinking “God is so cruel” before checking myself: in this case, god is Tolstoy. I was wholly moved. It was a story to be immersed in, and has all the elements of a literary masterpiece, but does it deserve its position of number one? In my opinion: yes. But would I recommend it to a friend for a guaranteed enjoyable read? No. Its brilliance, for me, was witnessed in brief moments through a shifting fog; I could sense it, but could hardly grasp the entire meaning of what I saw. Much of the historical information went completely over my head. Anna Karenina is not for everyone. However, it is definitely a must read for anyone willing and wanting to come in contact with a type of literary genius which can’t be found in contemporary works.

Date published: 2009-09-10

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Nikki from
Anna Will Stay With You ForeverAnna Karenina is the story of two different members of Russian society in the late 19th century. Anna is the privileged wife of a high government official, a cold and unaffectionate man. She is resigned to being in a loveless marriage and finds joy in her young son, Sergei. One night at the train station, she meets a dashing army officer named Count Alexei Vronsky. The two quickly begin a scandalous affair. Anna is given a choice by her husband - end the affair and stay with her son or leave and never see her son again. The choice Anna makes and its consequences are tragic and highlight the double standard applied to adulterers. Society gave permission for men to have affairs but a woman who had an affair was labeled a harlot and risked never being allowed into "polite" society again, especially if she left her husband. The second character is a rather dull land owner named Konstantin Dmitrievich Levin. He is in love with Kitty, who is in love with Vronsky at the beginning of the novel. After Vronsky leaves her for Anna, Kitty begins to notice Levin’s many noble qualities. Tolstoy uses this character to share his views on the Russian peasantry, society, and economy. These speeches can be rather long and tiring, especially if you don't know (or care about) Russian history. Although Levin is noble in his beliefs, his personality is void of any colour. Don’t let Levin scare you away from this novel. Anna Karenina deserves to be on your must-read list. Anna is one of the most compelling characters in literature, and she will stay with you for a long time. Her story, told masterfully by Tolstoy, is deeply moving in its description of a woman trapped by a society full of double-standards for its female members.

Date published: 2008-10-12

Rated 2 out of
5 by
Island_Girl from
I couldn't get into this oneNormally I like the Oprah book club selections, but this one was a challenge to finish. The list at the front of the book of all the various names each character went by was used frequently. I don't recommend this one unless you have a personal interest in Russian history.

Date published: 2008-08-13

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Shannon_Rooke from
Difficult readThis was definitely the hardest book I have ever read. Although I found the plot very interesting, I was completely lost in all the Russian politics in the book. I actually had to put the book down for a few months before going back to finish it and I have never done that with any book before. Still a good story though, and I liked the various stories that were all connected in some way.

Date published: 2008-01-04

Rated 3 out of
5 by
Sarah from
It's okayI wanted to read this book because I have heard a great deal about it. Anyway, in the beginning it was really interesting up to the part where Anna meets Count Vronsky...and then it just dies out. It just goes TOO much in detail that it gets annoying but I guess some people like that kind of stuff and it's written through every character's point of view, even a dog's! It's okay...it's not as great as I thought it would be. It also focuses on a lot of Russian politics and other issues that were going on around the time the author had written this book so it focuses on a lot on his political views... I wish though that it mainly or only focused on Anna and Vronsky's lives vs the lives of other characters in this novel.

Date published: 2007-06-28

Rated 4 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Great book, bad editionI would recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read. It is complex and long but if you just get into it and plug through the slow stuff it will get good. The only thing I would tell and person considering this book is to NOT GET THIS EDITION. It was spelling error after grammatical error. Sometimes it got so bad that I had a hard time understanding what was being said and plus saying on the front cover that it is the best love story of all time is so false. Leo Tolstoy is not telling us a love story but rather asking us what love is.

Date published: 2006-09-07

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
BrilliantHaving received this book as a gift I was a skeptic, due to its size, of ever getting around to read it. Having never explored much Literature by Russian authors before, I figured Anna Karenina was an excellent place to start. The different stories in the novel parallel one another tied together by common themes and elements, but apart from each other, hold their own, captivating the reader making them want to read on. Tolstoy's characters have unique personalities, and although the names make it slightly confusing, the story is irresistable and the read cannot help but continue. The ups and downs of the different personalities such as Levin or Anna, even Alexi Alexandrovich who is described as awkward and seemingly opposite to the passionate and energetic Anna Karenina make them come alive/ The reader cannot help but feel as they feel through the heartache, fear, and joy. Just when you think when a situation seemed doomed, unable to repair, such as the relationship between Levin and Kitty, and Vronsky (in the beginning), it turns into something completely different. The different elements entwined with the fictional story of the characters: politics, history, economic conditions, and generally the opinion of Russian citizens of the time of both upper and lower classes, adds another layer to the text. If you have the time and patience, and a love for great lituerature, Tolstoy's Anna Karenina is an excellent choice.

Date published: 2006-06-23

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Anonymous from
Beautiful ForeverLet me begin my review by stating that I do not acclaim myself, an avid reader, I am just a teenager who happened to watch an episode of Gilmore Girls, which made me interested in this book. After picking up this book, it was daughting in sheer volume alone, but once when you start reading the world that Tolstoy creates is like no other. His characters and their stories keep you going through the entire book. It takes place and is written in 1800's Russia, and the world which Anna Karenina lives in, is so beautiful and rich in words that it creates a sense of emotion in the reader that allows for it to be read forever.

Date published: 2006-05-30

Rated 1 out of
5 by
alyssa from
BadThis book was worse than poor . Tolstoy is suposed to be a great writer so i was looking forward to reading this book. I read a lot and faster than the average person but this book is boring and doesn't flow well. It took me a month to get throught 611pages and i couldn't even finish! It was the first book i disliked so much i couldn't finish in 10 years and I pride myself for being able to get through even 6 pahges of that horrible book.

Date published: 2005-09-18

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Maria from
Spiritual ReadThis book has such a spiritual flow to it. Anna is looking for love and true happiness as most of us are and she can't find it because instead of seeking God who IS love she turns to temporary earthly comfort and passion. Grass always looks greener on the other side. Levin's life relates so closely to Anna, he is also desperately looking for a life worth living, but through hardship and self examination he finds what he is looking for.

Date published: 2005-08-24

Rated 4 out of
5 by
jenna_R from
anna kareninaDefinatley a good summer bach read. i can't believe this was written in the 1800s by a man! I've heard of soaps with less plot turns and cheating spouses. It took me a total of three years to read it, and I have been known to read a 300-400 page book in 1sitting (at the most a day) heavy reading to be sure. and not exactly srawberry shortcake but a good read one the less.

Date published: 2005-07-26

Rated 1 out of
5 by
Kiran from
OverratedCompleting this book was a goal for myself. I am an avid reader but I felt like getting through this book was a chore. There plot line took a very long time to get to. The character of Anna Karenina was not the most interesting part of the book...I was more interested in the plot lines surrounding the other characters. Once you get to about the last 100 pages of the book...you get a real shocker....and it's not a good one. I just felt like this book lacked a plot and was a serious bore to try and get through....I will not recommend this book

Date published: 2005-05-20

Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jacqueline_Chan from
A true classicAnna Karenina is one of the most interesting books I have read in a while. When I first started, I must admit I was a little intimidated by the size and number of pages of this novel. But by the first page, I was suddenly captivated and enthralled into the story of high society Russian families. At the beginning of the novel, the reader sees Anna, an amazingly beautiful woman with a happy and fulfilled life. As the novel continues, the breakdown of her life is chronicled and the reader can't help but become enthralled and captivated by the storyline. Tolstoy captures so many different emotions in this novel: happy, sad, fulfilled, confused, depressed... And by the end of Anna Karenina everything seems to fall into place. Therefore, Anna Karenina is one novel that readers everywhere should pick up. It is without a doubt a true classic.